and she was at the end of her
resources.

But Dan found a new occupation for himself, and enjoyed it some time
before any one discovered the cause of his contentment. A fine young
horse of Mr. Laurie's was kept at Plumfield that summer, running loose
in a large pasture across the brook. The boys were all interested in the
handsome, spirited creature, and for a time were fond of watching him
gallop and frisk with his plumey tail flying, and his handsome head
in the air. But they soon got tired of it, and left Prince Charlie to
himself. All but Dan, he never tired of looking at the horse, and seldom
failed to visit him each day with a lump of sugar, a bit of bread, or
an apple to make him welcome. Charlie was grateful, accepted his
friendship, and the two loved one another as if they felt some tie
between them, inexplicable but strong. In whatever part of the wide
field he might be, Charlie always came at full speed when Dan whistled
at the bars, and the boy was never happier than when the beautiful,
fleet creature put its head on his shoulder, looking up at him with fine
eyes full of intelligent affection.

"We understand one another without any palaver, don't we, old fellow?"
Dan would say, proud of the horse's confidence, and, so jealous of his
regard, that he told no one how well the friendship prospered, and never
asked anybody but Teddy to accompany him on these daily visits.

Mr. Laurie came now and then to see how Charlie got on, and spoke of
having him broken to harness in the autumn.

"He won't need much taming, he is such a gentle, fine-tempered brute. I
shall come out and try him with a saddle myself some day," he said, on
one of these visits.

"He lets me put a halter on him, but I don't believe he will bear a
saddle even if you put it on," answered Dan, who never failed to be
present when Charlie and his master met.

"I shall coax him to bear it, and not mind a few tumbles at first. He
has never been harshly treated, so, though he will be surprised at the
new performance, I think he won't be frightened, and his antics will do
no harm."

"I wonder what he would do," said Dan to himself, as Mr. Laurie went
away with the Professor, and Charlie returned to the bars, from which he
had retired when the gentlemen came up.

A daring fancy to try the experiment took possession of the boy as he
sat on the topmost rail with the glossy back temptingly near him.
Never thinking of danger, he obeyed the impulse,